Bangkok: Anticipation is mounting for the designation of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan as a World Cultural Heritage site, with Minister Suchart appointed as the head of the Thai delegation. Deputy Prime Minister Thongsak presided over the inaugural meeting of the National Committee on the World Heritage Convention in 2026, where the committee approved Minister Suchart as the head of the Thai delegation, expressing hopes that Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province will achieve this prestigious status.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsi chaired the first meeting of the National Committee on the World Heritage Convention on July 8, 2026. The meeting, held in Room 301 at Government House and via video conference, was attended by key figures including Minister of Culture Sabida Thaiseth, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Vichavat Isarabhakdi, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Raveewan Phuridej. The attendees discussed two critical agenda items, focusing on the guidelines for Thailand's position and delegation composition for the 48th Ordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea, scheduled for July 19-29, 2026.
The committee approved Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, as the head of the Thai delegation, with the Ambassador of Thailand to Paris serving as the deputy head. A significant agenda item is the inscription of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan as a World Cultural Heritage site under criteria 2 and 6, emphasizing its religious diversity, spiritual beliefs, and influence on religious art styles throughout South Maritime Asia for over 1,500 years. The site's role as a significant center of Buddhism further strengthens its candidacy. If successful, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan will become Thailand's sixth cultural and ninth World Heritage Site, enhancing its global standing.
In addition, the meeting approved the submission of a draft Preliminary Assessment document for 'Wat Arun Ratchawararam Prang: The Identity of Rattanakosin' to the World Heritage Centre for feedback. This step initiates the process of preparing nomination dossiers, aligning with World Heritage nomination guidelines and engaging advisory bodies for comprehensive proposal development.
The meeting also acknowledged the appointment of qualified members to the National Committee on the World Heritage Convention and reviewed progress in nominating three cultural heritage sites: Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the monuments and cultural landscapes of Chiang Mai, and Phra That Phanom. The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (ONREP) was tasked with collaborating with the Sub-Committee on Cultural and Natural World Heritage to review Thailand's heritage site nominations.